Golf club assembly



Aug. 18, 1970 H. P. WHEELER GOLF cum ASSEMBLY Filed June 8, 1967 INVENTOR. HAROLD I? WHEELE f1 A TTORNE Y5 United States Patent 3,524,646 GOLF CLUB ASSEMBLY Harold P. Wheeler, 2502 Tulane Ave., Alamogordo, N. Mex. 88310 Filed June 8, 1967, Ser. No. 644,615 Int. Cl. A63b 53/02, 53/16 US. Cl. 273-81.2 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improvements in golf clubs and separable components therefor. Golf clubs in current use are most frequently constructed of interfitting components secured as a rigid integral unit and afford little or no adjustment to meet the playing requirements of the user or users, thus necessitating a separate club of different shaft length and blade or head configuration for various use requirements of one or more players. Attempts have been made to provide interchangeability and adjustment of the club head on the shaft and adjustment of the shaft length during the course of play, but these have not proved entirely satisfactory for all applications and player requirements and particularly do not provide added utility for putters of any significance.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a simple, durable, efficient and easily adjustable putter assembly permitting two or more users to selectively vary grip position and blade configuration and weight to his preference for given periods of play.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club assembly having interchangeable component parts arranged for easy assembly and disassembly and adjustment so as to afford a given user of a putter a selection of sizes, configurations, weights and materials for a period of play.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel golf club in which a variety of sizes, shapes and Weights of heads may be assembled and disassembled on the same shaft of a golf club assembly.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a putter assembly wherein the effective length of the shaft between grip and club head may be lengthened or shortened as required by the user either before or during a period of play. 1

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the .invention will be more apparent as the description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a golf club assembly embodying the novel features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the upper portion of the golf club assembly shown in FIG. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrated partially broken away and in section to show the grip threaded on the shaft and the upper fastening member securing the grip against movement on the shaft;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the abutting relation of the shaft, grip and fastening member with the slots in the grip;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the upper fastening member showing the internal threaded and tapered portions thereof;

3,524,646 Patented Aug. 18., 1970 FIG. 5 is a lower end elevation view of the upper fastening member of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the lower portion of the golf club assembly shown in FIG. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrated partially in section to show the interfitting relation of the shaft and shank portion of the head and the lower fastening member securing the head against movement on the shaft;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6 to show the shaping of the male extension formed on the lower end of the shaft;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the lower fastening member of FIGS. 1 and 6 drawn to an enlarged scale to show interior shaping thereof;

FIG. 9 is a lower end elevation view of the lower fastening member shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of an alternative form of putter-type head suitable for being secured to the lower end of the shaft of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a front elevation view of the head shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of an alternative shape of putter-type head suitable for being secured to the lower end of the shaft of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of the head shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of an alternative form of putter-type head suitable for being secured to the shaft of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of the head shown in FIG. 14.

Referring now to the drawings, a club assembly embodying my invention is shown in FIG. 1 to include an intermediate shaft 2 with a grip or handle 3 mounted on an upper end of the shaft, an upper fastening or locking member 4 locking the grip to the shaft with one of a plurality of heads '5 mounted on the lower end of the shaft and a lower fastening or locking member 6 locking the head against movement on the shaft.

The grip 3- as more fully illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprises an elongated body which may be provided with an external surface of various known shapes and materials suitable for a firm grasping by the user. The grip 3 includes an internal aperture of a greater diameter than the assocaited upper portion of the shaft so as to telescope thereon for extension and retraction movements to vary the effective length thereof. In a preferred form the internal surface of the grip 3 is provided with a threaded portion 8 and the upper portion of the shaft is provided with a mating threaded portion 9 so that the handle or grip 3 will move along the shaft to extend or retract in selected increments as desired by rotating one with respect to the other. In this manner, the increment or amount of movement of the handle or grip with respect to the shaft may be closely regulated.

- The upper fastening member 4 comprises a generally hollow body having an internal bore 4a of a greater diameter than the lower portion of the handle and upper portion of the shaft so as to fit on or telescope thereover (FIG. 3). Internal threads 11 are provided in member 4 which thread on an external threaded portion 12 of the grip .3. The internal bore of the fastening member 4 includes a tapered portion 13 on its inner surface below the threaded portion 11 which coacts with a tapered portion 14 adjoining the lower end of the grip and elongated slots 15 preferably four in number extending lengthwise of the tapered portion.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 when the fastening member 4 is threaded upwardly on the grip 3, the tapered portions 13 on member 4 engage or wedge against the tapered portion 14 of the grip so as to force adjoining surfaces of the grip against surfaces of the shaft to hold 3 or lock the grip against further movement with respect to the shaft. The external surface of the fastening member 4 may be provided with tapered end portions and be knurled as shown at 4b or provided with a similar irregular external surface for ease in threading on the handle.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the club head has an upstanding shank portion 18 arranged in a quick coupling and decoupling relation to the lower end of the shaft 2 by means of an aperture or female portion 19 of a joint being provided in the upper end of the shank portion 18 which receives an extended or male portion 20 having a hollow bore carried by the lower end of the shaft which is inserted into aperture portion 19. In a preferred form, the male portion 20 is of a multisided configuration and hexagonal in section (FIG. 7) with corresponding shaping of the aperture 19 to prevent rotational movement of the head 5 on the shaft 2. This arrangement provides a quick detachment of the head on the shaft and consistent alinement of the head thereon for ease in assembly and disassembly and facilitates the use of multiple heads on the same shaft.

The lower fastening member 6 comprises a generally hollow body having an internal bore 6a of greater diameter than the lower portion of the shaft and the shank portion of the head so as to fit on or telescope thereover (FIG. 6). Internal threads 22 are formed on the inner surface of the fastening member 6 which mate and thread downwardly on an external threaded portion 23 of the shank 18.

The lower end portion of shaft 2 is provided with a flange or rim 24 of greater diameter than the shaft 2 or extended portion 20 which has a flexible washer-like member 25 of similar diameter fitted on the shaft and seated on the flange 24. Between the upper end of the fastening member 6 and its threaded portion 22 there is provided a shouldered portion 27 which engages the upper surface of the flexible member so as to force it against flange 24 when the fastening member 6 is rotated so as to thread downwardly over the shank portion 18 and lock the head 5 against movement on the shaft. The external surface of the fastening member 6 may have tapered end portions and a knurled portion 61; as does member 4 previously described for ease in such threading. An alternative coupling or fitting arrangement for connecting the head to the lower portion of the shaft may be provided in the form of a spring loaded type of quick disconnect.

Alternative forms of club heads having different shapes and weights of the putter type are shown in FIGS. which are suitable for interchangeable attachment to shaft 2 in the manner similar to head 5 previously described to illustrate the plurality of heads which may be used with a single shaft. Head 30 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 includes a shank portion 31 offset along its length and secured to the top surface and between the ends of a lower portion 32 of generally square section. Head 33 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 includes a substantially straight shank portion 34 secured to a side of and intermediate the ends of a lower portion 35 of generally square section and of greater section than portion 32 to provide additional weight. Head 36 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 includes a shank portion 37 offset along its length and secured at the lower end to the rearward portion of the top surface of a lower portion 38 of generally rectangular section. The upper end of each of the shank portions of each of these heads 30, 33 and 36 is provided with external threads 23 and an internal bore or female joint portion 19 of the same construction as illustrated in FIG. 6 for slidable attachment to the lower end of shaft 2.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that a golf club assembly features of the present invention will provide a wider selection of putter sizes with less expense and is particularly suitable for persons who wish to share the use of a set of golf clubs at different times, such as for example, a husband and wife. A selected size, weight and angle of golf club head may be easily and quickly secured to the shaft and its length adjusted to accommodate the user. The necessity of separate shafts and handles which add to the cost and inconvenience of carriage is thus eliminated. In addition, before and after use the golf club may be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled for carriage in a comparatively smaller case than the usual rigid integral clubs It is understood that various parts of the golf club assembly as above described may be constructed of a variety of materials such as metals, alloys, leather and the like and although the metal putter type heads have been shown, various forms of woods may be similarly formed and particularly the grip adjustment is suitable for the wood variety.

Although the invention is described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and numerous changes in the details of construction, arrangement of parts and selection of materials as well as a change in shaping may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A golf club assembly utilizing a plurality of interchangeable heads comprising a shaft, a grip having an internal threaded aperture arranged for threading over an upper threaded portion of said shaft to vary the effective length thereof, a first fastening member arranged for engaging a portion of said grip for securing said grip at selected positions along the shaft, said fastening member defined by a body having an internal bore arranged for telescoping on said shaft and lower end portion of the grip and having an internal threaded portion arranged for threading on external threaded portions formed on said grip, said grip having a tapered lower end portion with slots therein being engaged by a tapered inner surface portion of the body to force the lower portion of the grip against the shaft when the body is threaded upwardly on said grip, one of said plurality of interchangeable heads being detachably mounted on the shaft, each having an upstanding externally threaded shank portion, said shaft having a lower extended portion of a multisided configuration of uniform cross-section throughout its length arranged for insertion into a complementary shaped socket extending into the shank portion of a selected head in a longitudinally slidable and releasably fitted relation thereto, a second fastening member arranged for engaging said shank portion for securing said head on said shaft, said second fastening member defined by a body having an internal bore and arranged for telescoping on said shaft and shank portion and having in ternal threaded portions threaded over said shank portion, and said shaft having a flanged portion in spaced relation to its lower end and a flexible member supported thereon adapted to be engaged by a shoulder portion in the hollow body to force the flexible member against the flanged portion when the body is threaded downwardly over said shank portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,426,202 8/1922 Lard 273-'80.2 1,650,183 11/1927 Brooks 273-812 1,697,846 1/1929 Anderson 273-8l.2 1,613,360 1/1927 Rigby 273-812 3,070,370 12/1962 Steiner 27381.2 X

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner R. J. APLEY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273 -80.1 

